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Houndblower brings us news of the new Brickforge prodcuts that will be debuting at Brickworld later this week. Amongst them are a set of reins, a gunbelt and a surcoat with a sword-loop.

The reins are a great add-on for the commanders of the great armies of the Pirate Forum - you need no longer worry about elastic bands or string to control your horse! Furthermore, as the reins fit over both types of horse head armour, we could be seeing some heavily-armed mounted troops in the near future too. Other uses will be sure to turn up too - a hangman's noose, anyone?

The surcoats also solve a dilemma for MOCers, who used to have to choose between a minifig neck bracket and 1x1 clip or an elastic band to hold their troops' cutlasses in place.

If those aren't to your taste, then the gunbelt provides a less bulky alternative, without the leg-flaps. Pistols, knives and scimitars should all find their place on minifigs' hips, perhaps with a little modification, if necessary.

Among Brickforge's new additions to their range of customs are a primitive spear and adze - great for variety in any Islander army. The new designs also helps differentiate between Incas, Mayas and Aztecs etc. and the Polynesian Islanders from the Lego sets.

Whilst the new LEGO® Pirate minifigures are arguably more aesthetically pleasing, there's a certain nostalgic element surrounding those from the original line. As part of their Vintage Minifigure Collections, The LEGO Group have unsurprisingly included a pirate figure.

However, many would have expected to see a more famous and charismatic pirate brought back, such as Captain Redbeard/Roger.

Why, then, do we get a minifig that only appeared in 3 sets (6289 Red Beard Runner, 6281 Pirates' Perilous Pitfall, 6249 Pirates Ambush)?

The later pirates from the original line are more similar in design to the new ones, so this could be the reason. Or could The LEGO Group be closely monitoring AFOL demand trends? Of all the classic pirate torsos, the one bearing the anchor tattoo is the second most expensive, sometimes selling for as much as $12!

The Vintage Minifigure Collection is expected to retail for $17.99 in the USA, so this rare torso could stimulate a high demand for the set.

What do you think? Should Captain Roger/Redbeard, often used as the "flagship" minifigure for the LEGO Pirate line at Legoland parks and on official merchandise, have been brought back instead of the "anchor pirate"?